1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a therapeutic positioning apparatus, of particular use on infants and juveniles.
2. Description of Related Art
It is an unfortunate fact that people are often injured in accidents. The severity of injuries obtained in accidents can range from minor cuts and bruises to major physical trauma. It is another unfortunate fact that frequently those injured in accidents are juveniles. Oftentimes, the extent of an individual's injuries cannot be ascertained immediately at the scene of the accident. This is particularly difficult with infants because they are unable to communicate directly with emergency personnel. Additionally, in the case of any unconscious individual, the severity of injuries is difficult to ascertain, especially at an accident scene. Furthermore, even where individuals involved in an accident are conscious and communicative, it is difficult to ascertain the extent of an individual's injuries because those injured persons may not be fully aware of the extent of their own injuries.
Accordingly, in many cases, emergency personnel deem it prudent to immobilize the head and spinal column of the victim of an accident, in an abundance of caution. If there is an injury to the cervical spine and the head and torso of the victim are not immobilized, movement of the head and neck can result in damage to the spinal cord and permanent paralysis can result. Oftentimes one of the devices used to immobilize the head and neck of a victim is a backboard. Many times, an extrication collar is used in conjunction with a backboard. While backboards and other similar devices are effective for immobilization of the head and spine of an adult, they are less effective, and sometimes injurious, to infants and juveniles.
The anatomy of children is such that placement in a supine position on a backboard or other flat surface, such as an operating table or bed, will often orient the head and cervical spine in an anatomically flexed position, thus compromising spinal and airway alignment. It is critical to create or maintain an open airway for a victim. In the juvenile accident victim with an injured cervical spine, extending the head to open the airway can injure the neck and spinal cord, and may even result in paralysis. Accordingly, there is an acute need for a method to align both the airway and cervical spine of a juvenile victim of an accident and, indeed, any juvenile patient at risk of respiratory complications and/or requiring anatomical positioning for diagnostic testing or surgery.